Andrew Mase Onen, the district YLP Desk Focal Person, several groups have mismanaged the funds and less than 150 million shillings have been recovered from the groups in the four years adding that the district is considering tasking defaulters' parents to payback the money.
Gulu district plans to recover Youth Livelihood Programme – YLP
funds from the parents of the defaulters.
Government of Uganda launched YLP programme in 2014 to support poor and
unemployed youth aged 18 to 30 years to create self-employment
opportunities and enhance their incomes.
In Gulu, the programme was inaugurated in 2015 and over 600
million Uganda Shillings has been disbursed to 87 different youths’ groups in
Awach; Patiko, Palaro, Cwero, Bungatira and Unyama sub-counties.
According to Andrew Mase Onen, the YLP focal person several groups that
benefited from the funds have failed to repay the loan. He said less than 150
million shillings has been recovered in the past four years.
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But Kenneth Obina of Diro Perom
Youth Group in Unayama Sub-County who received 8.5 million shillings says that their
failed poultry project was as a result of technical guidance from the district.
Richard Acaye of Kica Ber
Youth Group in Patiko Sub-County says that they received 7.6 million shillings
for a piggery project but it also failed because none of them had received
technical training.
Lucy Aciro, an Agro Enterprise professional at Gulu University who
participated in a validation of the performance of the groups that was
conducted this year agrees with the group members saying the beneficiaries
failed to sustain their enterprises due to lack of training.
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Moses Laker, a concerned parent in Gulu town opposed the method of
recovering the funds arguing that after the programme was
initiated in 2016 local on politicians duped youth groups to
misappropriate the government by sending wrong message that the money was for
free.
However, Diana Naturinda Makombore, the Communications Officer YLP
in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development disclosed
that defaulters’ parents can be put to task to recover the funds especially if
they recommended the youth groups as guarantors to receive the funds.
According to Naturinda, such stern measures, nonetheless, may only be applied
in worst-case scenarios to help government recover the money so that it is advanced
it to other youths.
Government invested an initial budget of 265 billion shillings in the
interest-free revolving fund and up to a tune of 25 million Shillings can
be disbursed to a group depending on the nature of the enterprise. Each group
is required to have a membership of between 10 – 15 people of whom 30% must be
females to encourage gender fairness.
Ochola's journalism career begun from Radio King 90.2 FM in Gulu around 2009, and Radio Rupiny 95.7 Fm under Vision Group in 2012. He also reported for Mighty Fire 91.5 Fm, Kitgum in 2015 before joining Wizarts Foundation in 2017.
He has been reporting for Uganda Radio Network (URN) since 2017 before being posted as Bureau Chief Kitgum, and later Gulu between 2018 - 2021. Currently, he reports from Parliament.
